Supporting and attaching means for railroad-rails.



F. P. MUHPHEY.

SUPPORTING AND ATTACHSNG MEANS FOR RAILROAD RAILS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.29, 191s.

1 ,QU6A59. Patented Nov. 28,1916.

FRANK P. MURPHEY, OF DECATUR, ILLINOIS.

SUPPORTING AND ATTACHING MEANS FOR RAILROAD-RAILS.

Application filed March 29, 1916.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK P. MURPHEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Decatur, in the county of Macon and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Supporting and Attachin Means for Railroad-Rails,.of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to a supporting means for railroad rails, and to means for holding the rail in fixed position upon said supporting means; and, broadly speaking, is of the type shown in my allowed application, Serial No. 72,979, filed January 19, 1916, for supporting and attaching means for railroad rails, and allowed February 18, 1916. V

The objects of the present invention are, to provide a base member or support which is formed on its under face with ribs to hold it against displacement under the influence of the strain imparted by the passing trains, and to provide this base member on its upper face with a. series of ribs or flanges for receiving and retaining a rail support or chair; to form notches in one of the flanges on the upper face of the base member to receive the chairs, and to leave a space between one side of a chair and one wall of the notch with which the chair is associated, which space is to permit of the insertion of aspring key adapted to lock the chair to the base member, and also adapted to serve as a rail gripping member; to provide a fixed rail gripping member on one side of the chair, and to utilize the spring key above referred to as a movable rail gripping member on the opposite side of the chair; to provide this key with serrations or notches to increase its holding power; and to arrange the key so that it increases its locking power in correspondence to the degree of strain placed on the attachment by the passing trains.

The invention further consists in the features of construction and combination of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a'plan view, showing the appliances ofthe present in vention in operative relation to a railroad rail; Fig. 2, a vertical section through the rail and chair, and also showing a portion of the base member; Fig. 3, a cross-section through the base member, with the chair and rail in position; Fig. 4, a plan View of the chair; Fig. 5, a perspective of a modified Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 28, 1916.

Serial No. 87,589.

form of key; and Fig. 6, a bottom View of the base member.

In theart to which the present invention relates, the means for supporting and retaining a railroad chair comprise a base or tie member, to which the rail is secured by some suitable means] In the present invention it is the intention to make these sup porting and securing means of a simple and strong construction, whereby they will outlast, to a considerable extent, the present well known wooden tie and correlated appliances for holding these rails in position thereon; and to arrange the parts for holding the rail so that they will securely grip and retain the same, and, at the same time, be capable of quick removal when it is necessary to take up the rail for repairs, etc.

Referring now to the drawings, the appliances consist of a base member, designated by the general numeral 7, a rail support or chair, designated by the general numeral 8, a fixed gripping jaw 9, and a combined locking key and removable gripping jaw 1.0. The base member is formed of metal or similar wear resisting material, and on its under face is formed with a central rib 11, terminating at each end in diverging ribs 12, which in turn merge into ribs 13 extending along the outer edge of the base member. These ribs 11, 12 and 13 provide retaining members which sink into the ground or road-bed, and hold the base member against displacement when the rail is subjected to the pressure of the passing trains.

The upper face of the base member is formed with outer upwardly projecting flanges lei, and a central upwardly projecting flange 15. This latter is formed with companion notches 16, one upon each side of the center thereof. These flanges are made with tapering side walls 17 (see Fig. 2), the function of which will be hereinafter explained. Each slot receives a rail chair 8, and when these chairs are positioned in their respective seats, they will be spaced apart the proper distance to receive the companion rails of the track. This enables the rails to be properly placed easily and quickly.

The chairs consist of a body portion having side walls 18, and front and rear walls 20, although the designation of these walls as front, rear, and side is for descriptive purposes only, and is not used as terms of 1 sponds to thevangle of the side walls 17 of the notch 16. Notches or openings 22 are formed in both the walls 18, to permit the lower'portion of the chair to straddle the flange 15, as will be understood from the drawings.

When the chair ispositioned as in Fig. 2, the walls 18 come into engagement with the corresponding walls 17 of the slot 16, with which they are associated, and, owing to the angle of these walls 17 and 18, an interlocking connection is formed between the chair and base member. The fixed gripping jaw 9 is on one side of the chair, and in the construction shown is formed by striking up a portion of the flat upper face 23 of thechair upon which face the base of the rail rests. This face 23 is shorter than the width of the slot 16 (see Fig. 2); the opposite side part of this sidewall 18 and a wall 17 of the slot 16 (see Fig. 2), and in the space betweenthis side wall 18 and the adjacent wall 17 of the slot 16 is inserted the combined locking key and rail gripping member 10.

In the construction shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, this'memb'er 10 is bent back upon itself to forman overhanging rail engaging portion 2a, and downwardly depending portions 25 and 26." The portion 26, as will be seen, is lying at an angle 'correspon dingto the angle of the wall 17 0f the slot 16, so that an interlocking connection is formed between the key and this vall of theslot when the chair is placed'as in Fig. 2. The key is also of tapering formation, that is to say, the 'portions 25 and 26 are spaced farther apart at one end of the 'key than at the other, giving it a wedging action when inserted. Also the portion 26, on its outer face, is formed with grooves or notches 27, which form sharp biting edges, making a slippage between the tey and'chair more difficult. These keys are made of spring metal and are inserted with j the taper thereof placed in such position that when'strain is'imparted to the rail by the movements of the trains, such strain will tend to forcethe key in the direction of its smaller end, thus driving. the key inward in correspondence with the strain, which compresses the portions 25 and 26 and increases the spring tensiomthus increasing the locking'ac ti'on'of the key. The notched surface ;of the "key; serves to increase the holding strength"tliereof, .by reason ofthe biting action produced by the edges. hen the key is driven home, there is a connection establishedbetween the chair and base member,

and also between the rail and chair, locking these parts together and creating a firm anchorage for the .ail, preventing its movement.

The construction of key shown in Fig. 5 is similar in principle to the construction shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, and differs only in form. The construction shown in Fig. 5 consists of an overhanging rail engaging member 28, of a single thickness of metal, as differentiated from the double thickness shown in Figs. 2 and 3; and the depending portion 29 is of U-shaped formation and closed at its lower end, as differentiated from the lower end ofthe key in Figs. 2 and 3. In all other r respects, however, the two keys are similar, and their function and method of operation are the same.

I claim:

1. An appliance of the class described, I),

comprising a base portion, a longitudinally extending flange on the upper face of the base portion having a notch cut therein, a rail-chair seated in said notch, said chair comprising a rail supporting surface of less width than the notch to provide a space between one wall of the notch and the corresponding side of the chair, a fixed gripping jaw on one side of the chair, a removable gripping jaw on the opposite side of the chair, said removable gripping aw being in the form of a spring key with an overhanging rail engaging portion, and said key being adapted to be inserted in the space between the chair and said wall of the notch tically extending flange on the upper face of the base portion having a notch cut therein. a rail-chair seated in said notch, said chair comprising a rail supporting surface of less width than the notch to provide a space between one wall of the notch and the corre- 1' sponding side of the chair, a fixed gripping jaw on one side of the chair, a removable gripping jaw on the opposite side of the chair, said removable jaw being in the form of a spring key of tapering construction and provided with an overhanging rail engaging portion, and said key when inserted in the space between the chair and said wall of the notch locking the chair and base member together, substantially as described.

3. An appliance of the class described. comprising a base portion, a longitudinally vertically extending flange on the upper fare of the base portion having a notch out therein, a rail-chair seated in said notch, said chair comprising a rail supporting surface of less width than the notch to provide a space between one wall of the notch and tho corresponding side of the chair, a fixed grippin-g'jaw on one side of the chair, a removable gripping jaw on the opposite side of the chair, said removable jaw being in the form of a key of one-piece construction, embodying an overhanging rail engaging portion and oppositely disposed downwardly extending spring arm portions, said key when inserted in the space between the chair and said wall of the slot acting to lock the chair and base member together, substantially as described.

An appliance of the class described, comprising a base portion, a longitudinally vertically extending flange on the upper face of the base portion having a notch out therein, a rail-chair seated in said notch, said chair comprising a rail supporting surface of less width than the notch to provide a space between one wall of the notch and the corresponding side of the chair, a fixed gripping jaw on one side of the chair, a removable gripping aw on the opposite side of the chair, said removable jaw being in the form of a key of one-piece construction, embodying an overhanging rail engaging portion and oppositely-disposed downwardly-extending spring arm portions extending in diverging relation to one another, said key when inserted in the space between the chair and said wall of the slot acting to lock the chair and base member together, substantially as described.

5. An appliance of the class described, comprising a base portion, a longitudinally vertically extending flange on the upper face of the base portion having a notch cut therein, a rail-chair seated in said notch, said chair comprising a rail supporting surface of less width than the notch to provide a space between one wall of the notch and the corresponding side of the chair, a fixed gripping jaw on one side of the chair, a removable gripping jaw on the opposite side of the chair, said removable jaw being in the form of a key of one-piece construction, embodying an overhanging rail engaging portion and oppositely-disposed downwardly-extending spring arm portions, said spring arm portions being spaced apart from one another a greater distance at one end of the key than at the other to provide a tapering construction, and said key when inserted in the space between the chair and said wall of the slot acting to lock the chair and base member together, substantially as described.

6. An appliance of the class described, comprising a base portion, a longitudinally extending flange on the upper face of the base portion having a notch cut therein, a rail-chair seated in said notch, said chair comprising a rail supporting surface of less width than the notch to provide a space between one wall of the notch and the corresponding side of the chair, a fixed gripping jaw on one side of the chair, a removable gripping jaw on the opposite side of the chair, said removable gripping jaw being in the form of a spring key with an overhanging rail engaging portion, said key being adapted to be inserted in the space between the chair and said wall of the notch for locking the chair and base member together, and said key having notches formed therein to effect a biting holding action, substantially as described.

7. An appliance of the class described, comprising a base portion, a longitudinally vertically extending flange on the upper face of the base portion having a notch cut therein, a rail-chair seated in said notch, said chair comprising a rail supporting surface of less width than the notch to provide a space between one wall of the notch and the corresponding side of the chair, a fixed gripping jaw on one side of the chair, a re movable gripping jaw 011 the opposite side of the chair, said removable jaw being in the form of a key of one-piece construetion, embodying an overhanging rail engaging portion and oppositely-disposed downwardly-extending spring arm portions, said in key when inserted in the space between the chair and said wall of the slot acting to lock the chair and base member together, and said arm )ortions having notches formed therein to e 'ect a biting holding action, substantially as described.

8. An appliance of the class described, comprising a base portion, a vertically-extendin longitudinal flange on the upper face of the base portion having a notch of outwardly tapering construction formed therein, a rail-chair seated in said notch, one side of said chair being formed of the same taper as the taper of the corresponding wall of the slot, said chair having its upper portion of less width than the slot to provide a space between one side of the chair and the corresponding wall of the slot, a fixed gripping jaw on one side of the chair, a removable gripping jaw on the opposite side of the chair, said removable jaw being in the form of a spring key adapted to be inserted in the space between the chair and said wall of the slot, and said key embodying an overhanging rail gripping surface, substantially as described.

9. An appliance of the class described, comprising a base portion formed with an upwardly extending part running longitudinally thereof, said part having a notch cut therein, a rail chair seated in said notch, said chair comprising a rail supporting surface of less width than the notch to provide a space between one wall of the notch and p the corresponding side of the chair, a gripping jaw on one side of the chair, a second gripping jaw on the opposite side of the chair, said second gripping jaw being in the form of a spring-key with an overhanging railengaging portion, and said key being adapted to be inserted in the space between the chair and said wall of the notch for locking the chair and base together, substantially as described.

10. An appliance of the class described, comprising a base portion formed with an upwardly extending part running longitudinally'thereof, said part having a notch cut therein, a rail chair seated in said notch, said chair comprising a rail supporting surface of less width than the notch to provide a space between one wall of the notch and the corresponding side of the chair, a rail gripping jaw on one side of the chair, a sec ond rail-gripping jaw on the opposite side of the chair, said second jaw being in the form of a key of onepiece construction embodying an overhanging rail-engaging por tion and oppositely-disposed downwardly extending spring-arm portions, said key when inserted in the space between the chair and said wall of the slot acting to lock the chair and base together, substantially as described. 7

11. An appliance of the class described,

comprising a base portion, a vertically-ex tending longitudinal flange on the upper face of the base portion having a notch of outwardly tapering construction formed therein, a rail-chair seating in said notch, :9,

one side of said chair being formed of the same taper as the corresponding wall of the notch, said chair being of less width at its upper end than the width of the slot,

whereby a space is provided between the other side of the chair and the corresponding wall of the notch, a fixed gripping jaw on the chair, a removable gripping jaw, said removable jaw being in the form of a spring key, formed with an overhanging said key when inserted in the space between said chair and said wall of the slot acting to lock the chair and base together, substantially as described.

FRANK P. MURPHEY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. C. 

